Method of reducing and melting oxids and the like.



0; ERICK.

METHOD OF REDUCING AND MELTING OXIDS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19,19G7.

9 1 3 Wm n it? a r a? m m v am H 1W4 W/ Ow Q0 5 w M 4 W 2 u M ww W &

MW? v a? 0. FRIGK. METHOD OF REDUCING AND MELTING OXIDE, AND THE LIKE. APPLIUATION FILED APR.19,1907.

932,459. Patented; Aug.31,1909

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O. PRIGK. METHOD OF REDUGING AND MELTING OXIDS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19,1907. V

Eatanted Aug. 31, 1909.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

' O. ERICK. METHOD OF REDUCINGVAND MELTIN G OXIDS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOAIIOIv FILED APE. 19,1907.

v nto; i

GTE-9 FREE, 31 53211353135133, ENGLAND.

METHOD OF BEDUGEENG' AND M Ap lication filed April 1'3, 1987.

Specification oz L lit?- AND TEUE LEI "'1.

are. acacia."

To all whom it may comer-ii:

lle it known that I, O'r'ro Futon, a subject of the King of Sweden, and resident of Shetlield, iu the Kingdom of Gr-at Britain, have invented neu and useful improvements in Methods of Reducing and Melting (kids and the Like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof.

In electric furnaces for reducing and melting oxids etc. it appears that the electric conductivity of the melted product is considerably greater than that oi the generally grainy raw material. it is, therefore, connected with great- (litiiculties, or

even impossible, to supply the electric energy sutlicient for the melting by inducing the solid pulverousmaterial, and it is also ditiicult, on account of the too small re sistance of the melted product, to malre use of the heat arising through the resistance of a current supplied through outer electrodes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a combined method for reducing oxids etc. and i'uelting he reduced material in which the electric energy supplied under conditions enabling the generating ot' the electric current and the suppl thereof to the material to he treated in the most profitable manner.

The invention consists, chiefly, in h t re ducing the solid material to he treated by successively introducing: it a lGSlStaHCG hetiveen electrodes above an annular crucii-hle and, secondly, melting the reduced mate- ,ria'l gradually sinking into-the crucible by an electric current induced in the melted material therein.

The furnaces employed in carrying out theinvention form a combination of a resistance furnace and an induction furnace in which the Working chamber of the resistance furnace forms one or more shafts opening ito the crucible of the induction furnace.

lu the drawings, 1 have shown, merely diagranunatically, some embodiments of my invention.

Figure 1 shows a, vertical section and Fig. 2 is a plan View oi. a furnace in which the elcctr' de current passes tin-(nigh the mixtuic to he reduced substantially in a horizoi'ltal direction. Figs. 3 and are similar views o't a modified arrangement in which. the *urrent passes in a. suluantially vertical ducetl.

direction t o and 3 a1 a th rd modification. ll 7 and S are similar views of a modificttion of the furnace shown in Figs. and t in which the crucible and the reduction shafts are er- I god in such manner as to allow of being moved relatively to each other.

Referring to F 1 and 2, the lower part of the furnace consists of an annular crucible 1 adapted to receive the melting mass, which forms a closed electric conductor in which electric currents are induced, in the manner usual in induction furnaces, by a magnetic field. the iron core 3 of which passes through the crucible and is provided with a primary coil 2 Arranged above the crucible l. is an annular shaft 4 interrupted by a brickwork 5 at the place Where the upper horizontal part of the iron core passes through the same. Placed at both sides of this brickwork a't'c electrodes 6, 7 adapted to be connected to a suitable continuous or alternating current source. he curren supplied through these electrodes flows through the material supplied to the shaft 4- in a substantially horizontal direction, and the strength of the current is so regulated that; the mass is heated to its temperature of reduction. The mass thus reduced sinks into the crucihle situated in the bottom of the furnace and if the said crucible contains suiiicicnt quantity of melted metal heated by current induced therein, the said incited mass emits heat upwardly to the reduced material so as to melt it. The working proceeds continuously and when a sutlicient quantity of melted material has accumulated in the crucible, some of the melted mass i. drawn oli. It is to be observed, however, that such a quantity of melted mass mustremain in the crucible as is required for the proper Working of the transformer.

ln the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 the transformer arrangement is es sentially the same as in l and 2, except that for supplying the mass to be reduced three vertical shafts 8 are. arranged above the crucible at an lute distance of 120. Each shaft provided, atits top, with an electrode 9, each electrode to he connected to one pole of a three-phase current source. The three-phase current passes through the mass in the shafts and hints the said mass to the reduction temperature, the melting lllllfin' accumulated beneath the shafts upon.

the bottom of the'eruoible serving as a shortcircuit conductor and neutral point for the said currentse The form of construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 difi ers in constructional respects from that shown in Figs, 3 and 4c eniefiy'in that it is provided with tour shafts 8 having electrodes 9 projecting in; wardl in horizontal directions at their tops.

his furnace is adapted to be supplied with current from a two-phase current source, or a single-phase I alternating current. source, respectively, it,'in the latter case, the electrodes are connected, by pairs, to one and the same pole. Said furnace is supposed to be used for producing Zinc and has to this end, at the bottom, a permanent bath of iron or other non-volatile. metal servin to facilitate the heating of slap; torn zed in the furnace. For carryingotl the zinc vapors formed tubes 10 are provided leading to suitable condensing appliances. obviousl this t'urnaee can also be used for producing other volatile metals than Zinc.

The constructional fol-n1 shown in Figs. 7 and S diil'ers from that illustrated in Figs. 3 and st in that the crucible is arranged in such a manner as to allow of being rotated relatively to the cover and to the reduction shafts. By this means is gained that the material dropping into the crucible can be uniformly distributed over the whole length or" the crucible, whereby the latter, which is,

suitably, made of compressed magnesite. or"

said electrodes, reducing the ear by causing an electric current to flow thr ugh than one closed circuit, if desired, and be arranged, if desired, for the same number oi? phases as the "current used for heating by resistance. 4

Having now described my intention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of reducing'and melting oxids and the like which consists in successively introducing the solid material to be treated-between electrodes in a manner to continually form a eontinu us conductor of high-resistant, material between the the said continuous high-resistant conductor between the electrodes, allowing the reduced material to sink into an annular crucible, and melting the reduced material by electric current induced in the melted material Within thecrucible, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 1 The method or" reducing and melting oxids and the like which consists in successively introducing the solid material to be treated between electrodes in such a manneras to continually form a. continuous conductor of high-resistant material the said electrodes, reducing the said material by causing an alternating electric current to flow through the said continuous high-resistant conductor between the eh dos, lowing the reduced material to sink into an annular crucible, and melting'the re noed material by electric current induced in t melted material 'ithin the erneib e, suhstantially as and for the purpose set forth,

-In testimony whereof i signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing,witnessesl I ERICK. Witnesses Ln'rnen J.-P1uue, Cnas. N. DANIELS. 

